Clutch mechanism for power-driven punch-presses



E. GAUTHIER. I

CLUTCH MECHANISM FORPOWER DRIVEN PUNCH PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-11,1918.

1,387,972. Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

. EmeaTGazfihler To all whom it may concern.

ERNEsT eimTI-IIER, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs, ASSIGNOR To wEsTERN ELECTRIC com- PANY, INCORPORATED, o NEw YoRx, N. \Y., A ooRroRATIoN E NEw YORK.

Be it known that I, ERNEST GAUTHIER, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago,-in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutch Mechanism for Power-Driven Punch-Presses, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to power driven punch presses, and more particularly to.

power driven presses of the roller pin and clutchtype in which operative engagement between a constantly driven fly wheel and a crankshaft is brought about by means of a roller clutch pin extending-through the hub of the fly wheel longitudinally ofthe shaftand adapted to engage bearing surfaces within the hub of the fly wheel.

The object of this invention is to improve the construction and operation of punch presses of this type whereby the life of such presses will be greatly prolonged,the operation of setting and repairing may be quickly and safely performed, and the speed of operation greatly increased without decreasing the mechanical qualities .and' operation of the press.

In accordance with one of the features of this invention, means arefprovided whereby the clutch engagement may be made practi-- cally instantaneous upon the operation of I the tripping member. This is accomplished such bearings.

by means of a clutch sleeve located within the hub of the fly wheel and provided between its ends- With a plurality of closely adjacent clutch engaging surfaces adapted to cooperate with the roller clutch pin. At

its ends the clutch sleeve is provided with I continuous bearing surfaces which operate in conjunction with the crank shaft to prevent undue wear upon any one port'on of the bearings, thereby prolongingthei In accordance with another feature of this invention, means are provided .for locking 7 the clutch pin in a neutral or safety position to prevent accidental operation of the presses during a die setting operation. In order to accomplish this the roller clutch pin is provided with a spring which normally tends to rotate this pin in a direction 'to complete an operative engagement between the shaft and flywheel, which will drive the crank-shaft in the direction of the in dotted lines;

ife of i line 88 of Fig. 7, and

Specification of Letters latent. Patented A g-16,1921. Application filed September 11, 1918. Serial No. 253,54e.

normal rotation of the fly wheel. Means are provided, however, for reversing the spring.

pressure on the clutch pin and for preventing its rotation in the opposite direction when this spring pressure is reversed In accordance with a'third feature of this invention, means are provided for permitting the backing up of the punch in case it sticks in operation due to an excess amount v of material being fed between the punch view through the clutch ring in which the crank-shaft and fly wheel hub are indicated Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-sectional View taken upon line 2-2 of Fig. and having parts broken away;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary'detailed section of the parts shown in Fig. 2 in a different position, and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 witlithe parts in a different position.

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken upon line'55 of Fig. l, but with the fly wheel and crankshaft shown locked. together for 110 m operation;

Fig. 6 isa similar viewshowing the clutch pin in a different position for allowing the backing up of the punch;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the clutch pin;

r Fig. 8.is a cross-sectional view taken upon Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken upon line 99 of Fig. 7 Y

As shown in the drawings, 5* designates a fly wheel hub within which is tightly fitted a clutch ring 6 preferably of hardened tool steel or some similar material. At each end of this clutch ring there is inserted a ball bearing 7 one part of the race being fixed to the clutch ring, the other being carried by a crank-shaft 8. Withinthe interior of this clutch ring are a plurality of closely adjacent longitudinally extending grooves 99, the opposite faces of each groove being preclsely the same in shape and contour. These grooves 99 terminate at the inner edges of the bearing races 7 7 and are adapted to cotiperate with a roller clutch pin 10 which extends through the bearing longitudinally of the crankshaft 8 and is located within a groove 12 provided in the crank-shaft. As shown in the drawings, particularly in Figs. 1, 7, and 8, the clutch pin 10 is cut away at each end where it passes through ball bearings. 7-7 to form a triangular cross section with the curved side faces 11-11. The sideffaces 11-11 are formed with the same radius as the inside bearing surface of that part of the ball hearing which is carried by the crank-shaft- .8 and which allows the clutch pinto be rocked in either direction. A portion 13 of the roller clutch pin 10. within the bearing sleeve 6 is semi-elliptical in cross section and is adapted to be swung either to the right or left through the agency of a crank'arm 15 to engage one or the other surfaces of one of the grooves 9.

A spiral spring 16 having one end in engagement with the crank arm 15 at the point 17 and its other end in engagement with the crank arm 15 at the point 18 is fixed at its central point in a stud 19 extending through a collar 20 surrounding the crank-shaft 8 -and to which it is secured by a suitable set screw 21. This spring 16 tends normally to swing the crank arm 15 to'the. left, as viewed in Fig. 2, but is prevented from doingf so by means of a trip latch 25 which may be controlled by a foot treadle or other suitable means. When this trip latch 25 is released from engagement with the crank arm 15, however, the spring 16in its normal position swings the crank arm 15 to the left, as shown in Fig. 3, thereby causing one face of the semi-elliptical portion 13 of the clutch pin 10 to engage the surface of one of the grooves 99 thereby locking the crank-shaft and the fly wheel together to cause a complete rotation of'said'crankshaft.

The crank arm 15 is adapted to swing within a slot or opening 26 in the collar 20 and its'swinging movement is limited by the opposite sides of this slot or opening.

\Vhen it is desired to change the die or punch of a punch press embodying the features of this invention or otherwise change its adjustment, the spring 16 may be re versed'in its action by moving the end which normally bears against the crank-arm 15 at -ofa pivotal trigger member 30 pivoted to the crank arm 15 of the clutch pin lOand which may be swung into position to engage one edge. of the opening 26 to limit the move ment of the crank. arm 15 in response to the action of the spring 16 in its dotted line position as shown in Fig. 2. \Vith the'parts in this position the operator may remove punch anddie with perfect safety inasmuch as the roller trip rod 10 is locked against operation and in a position in which the fly wheel is running free on the crank-shaft.

It often occurs, however, in the operation of presses of this type that a larger amountof material is fed between the die and punch than the parts are capable of handling, and this results in a sticking of the punch before it has reached or passed its dead center. Under such circumstances the obvious and easiest method of clearing this trouble is to back the punch up until the excess material can be removed. In the structure of this invention this may be easily accomplished by reversing the spring 16 into its dotted line position, as shown in Fig. 2, disconnect the power from the fly wheel, and remove the catch 30 from between the crank arm 15 and the adjacent end of the opening 26. This will permit the crank arm 15 to swing to the right, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, andthe semi-elliptical portion 13 of the roller clutch pin 10 to engage the opposite face of a groove 9 than the face it engages in the ordinary operation of the press. An operator can then, by manually operating the fly wheel in a backward direction asindicated by the arrows in Figs. 4 and 6, back the crank-shaft and punch away from the die to permit the removal of theexcess metal.

The spring is provided with projecting portions35 and 36, by means of which its position with respect to the crank arm 15 may be readily changed.

()ne of the principal advantages of this invention is that it permits the clutch ring being supplied with a plurality of clutch surfaces for facilitating the rapid operation of the press without reducing the bearing surface between the fly wheel and the crankshaft, This is made possible. of course, through the particular construction of the clutch ring in which the bearing surfaces are wholly independent and outside of the supported clutch pin for establishing an 0 5 erative connection between said fly wheel and said crank-shaft, a spring normally tending-to swing vsaid clutch pin in one direction into an operative position, means for reversing the action of said spring, and

operative connection between said fly wheel and said crank-shaft, a crank arm carried by said clutch pin, a stationarycollar having an opening .in which ,said crank arm is adapted lto swing, a spring engaging said crank arm to normally swing said clutch pin in one direction into operative position, means for reversing the action of said spring on said crank arm, and adjustable means adapted to be interposed between said crank arm and one side of said opening to maintain' the clutch pin in an inoperative position. y

3. In a power driven punch press,'a constantly rotating fly wheel, a crank-shaft with which said fly Wheel cooperates, a pivotallysupported clutch pin for establishing an operative connection. between said fly wheel andsaid crank-shaft, a crank arm carried by said clutch pin, a collar having an opening in which said crank arm is adapted to swing, a spring engaging said crank arm to normally swing said clutch pin in one direction into operative position, means for reversing the action of said spring on said crank arm, and an adjustable latch carried by said crank arm adapted to be interposed between said crank arm andone side of said opening to sition.

4C. In a power driven punch press, a fly wheel, a crank-shaft with which said fly wheel cooperates,. a clutch ring within the maintain the clutch pin in an inoperative pohub of said fly wheel having a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves the opposite faces of which are of the same shape 1 and contour, a clutch pin extending through said ring longitudinally of the crankshaft and having its portlon withln sald ring of semi-elliptical cross section, and means tori swinging said clutch pin in either direction into engagement with the faces of said grooves. i

In witness whereof I hereuntosub'scribe my namethis 29th day of August, A. D. 19l8.- p v ERNEST GA'UTHI ER. 

